The election of 2008 brings Democrat Barack Obama into the White House, seen by many as a monumental and historical victory. Along with promises of economic change, comes a hope for health care reform. The Illinois senator has proposed sweeping changes in the health care system designed to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

Obama spoke often during the campaign about his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer to illustrate his commitment to changing the health care system. He told of her final days, spent battling insurance company bureaucrats who did not want to pay for her cancer treatments. “I know what it’s like to see a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken health care system,” he said at a rally last week and at countless campaign stops before that.

His plan would extend health coverage by expanding existing private and public programs with the help of federal subsidies and mandates. He has repeatedly claimed the reforms will lower the average family’s health insurance premiums by about $2,500 a year.

These reforms include:

Requiring employers, except small businesses, to provide health insurance to their employees or contribute to the cost.

Requiring that all children have health insurance.

Expanding Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to pool risk and give people the choice of competing private or public health plans.

According to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax analysis group, the president-elect’s plan, if fully implemented, would reduce the number of uninsured Americans from a projected 67 million to 33 million over the next decade at a cost of $1.6 trillion.

Obama has said he would pay for his plan by rolling back President Bush’s tax cuts on people making more than $250,000 a year and keeping the estate tax at 2009 levels, but he has not been more specific. He has not provided a timetable for seeking his proposed reforms and has not said if he would present a comprehensive health care reform package or try for incremental change.

Our country will watch hopefully as the transition is made and President Obama eases into his new role. We look forward to a more prosperous economy for our families, our businesses and our healthcare system. Whether we are Republican or Democrat, voted for McCain or Obama, it is time to come together and bring about the changes needed to move forward.

Join Nurse Christie and Stacey as they talk about OTC medications for children and alternative forms of symptomatic relief when it comes to coughs and colds. Earlier this year, the FDA warned against giving OTC cold medicines to children younger than 2 year old. This month, drug companies have voluntarily issued a warning against giving these medications to children less than 4 years old.

Many physicians have never been convinced of the effectiveness of these OTC’s so these new warnings are considered a step forward. With over 7,000 children being seen in hospital emergency rooms for problems associated with these cold medicines, the benefits do not seem to outweigh the risks. Excessive drowsiness, hives and unsteady walking are a few examples of the symptoms being seen as a result of these medications.

The main concern here is that the FDA set standards for cold and cough medications 30 years ago without any separate studies done for kids. More studies need to be done in the safety and efficacy of the medications in children less than 12 years old and gathering this data could take some time. So, what are parents to do to help relieve cold symptoms? Listen to our podcast and read below for ideas.

Try these remedies:

Utilize a cool mist humidifier

Instill saline drops and suction the nose of infants

Safely raise the head of bed when sleeping

Encourage fluids to thin secretions to keep things “thin and moving”

Warm fluids to relieve a cough or sore throat

Encourage older children to blow their nose

Allow plenty of time to rest

Sit in the bathroom with a steamy shower running to help relieve a cough and congestion

Parents should never:

Give adult medications to children

Give two or more meds with the same ingredients at the same time

Give antihistamines to make a child sleepy

Parents should:

Give the exact recommended dosage of medications using the measuring device that comes with the medicine

Johnson & Johnson- Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Company and FDA notified consumers and healthcare professionals of a voluntary recall of Infants’ Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free Drops ( Lot No. SMF007 and SMF008) sold in 1 oz plastic bottles that were distributed after October 5, 2008, nationwide. The product was recalled because some bottles could include metal fragments that were generated during the manufacturing process. Parents who have given the product to their infant and are concerned should contact their healthcare professional.

urse Christie talks with Diagnostician Laurie Gaines who specializes in the evaluation of children for a variety of learning disorders. They discuss symptoms of ADHD and how other disorders can sometimes mimic ADHD. For this reason, proper assessment is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Join us for this interesting update on ADHD. Thanks to our sponsor North Texas Kids.

Covidien and FDA notified patients and healthcare professionals of a recall of ReliOn sterile, single-use, disposable, hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed hypodermic needles. The mislabeled syringe may result in patients receiving an overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dose, with serious health consequences, low blood sugar, and even death. These syringes are sold only by Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club pharmacies under the ReliOn name. The recall applies only to lot number 813900. The product was distributed from Aug. 1, 2008 until Oct. 8, 2008, and includes 471,000 individual syringes in 4,710 boxes. FDA urges patients and health care professionals to check syringe packaging carefully for products with this lot number, not to use the product, and return the product to the pharmacy for replacement. The lot number can be found on the back panel of the 100 count syringe carton, or on the white paper backing of each individual syringe “peel-pack”.